Civika Academy for International Development aims to equip changemakers, organizations, and governments to advance equitable human and planetary flourishing.

The Civika Academy for International Development (CAID) is a global network of practitioners and learning institutions that work across universities, government agencies, and civic organizations to develop public leaders, strengthen governance systems, and co-create solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.

At Civika, we believe that universities are uniquely positioned to become launchpads for public innovation—linking knowledge with action, and local insight with global impact. Through our Schools, Co-Creation Labs, and Fellowship programs, we cultivate a distributed pool of talent and a South–South learning ecosystem focused on adaptive leadership, inclusive policy, and institutional reform.

Civika operates through regional hubs including the Asian School of Governance, the African School of Government, and the Bridging Leadership Institute, in close partnership with higher education institutions and public innovators across the Global South.

Our Schools

Distributed Learning Platforms for a New Generation of Public Leaders

The Civika Institutes host a growing network of regionally anchored yet globally connected schools that reimagine how governance is taught, practiced, and scaled. Each school operates as a distributed learning platform—linking universities, governments, and civic actors to co-create solutions for today’s most urgent development challenges.

Asian School of Governance (ASG)

Accelerating Adaptive Governance Across Asia

The Asian School of Governance connects universities, public sector leaders, and innovation hubs across Asia to co-develop programs on public leadership, climate adaptation, and systems change. Through shared curricula, regional field labs, and South–South learning exchanges, ASG equips a new generation of leaders to drive inclusive, context-specific reforms across the continent.

→ [Explore ASG Programs] | [Partner With ASG]

African School of Government (AfSG)

Pan-African Leadership for Public Innovation

The African School of Government is a platform for African-led learning, research, and practice in governance and development. From Dakar to Dar es Salaam, AfSG empowers public servants, university leaders, and civic actors to build resilient institutions through joint courses, leadership labs, and policy innovation studios grounded in the realities of African governance systems.

→ [Explore AfSG Programs] | [Launch a Regional Hub]

Bridging Leadership Institute (BLI)

Equipping Cross-Sector Leaders to Heal Divides and Drive Change

The Bridging Leadership Institute trains individuals and institutions to lead across boundaries—of sector, identity, and power. Rooted in inclusive, values-based leadership practice, BLI supports changemakers working in conflict-affected, inequitable, or divided contexts. Participants learn to co-own problems with stakeholders, mobilize coalitions, and generate breakthroughs for collective action.

→ [Join a BLI Training] | [Learn About the Framework]

Our Co-Creation Labs

Where Ideas Are Built With Communities, Not For Them

Civika’s Co-Creation Labs are immersive, field-based platforms that bring together university teams, government partners, and local communities to design, test, and scale real-world solutions to public challenges.

Inspired by the innovation ethos of MIT D-Lab and grounded in the adaptive governance principles of the Harvard Kennedy School, these labs serve as living classrooms—where policy meets practice, and learning drives change.

The Co-Creation Lab model is Civika’s signature approach to doing development differently—by designing with, not for, communities.

→ [Launch a Lab in Your City] | [Partner With Our Network] | [See Lab Stories]

University Partnerships

Building a Global Network of Civic Universities

Civika partners with universities that are ready to lead beyond the campus—becoming platforms for public innovation, leadership development, and community transformation.

Through distributed learning models, co-creation labs, and shared leadership curricula, we help universities across Asia, Africa, and the Global South become engines of governance reform and inclusive development.

What We Offer Partner Universities

• Joint Program Development
  Co-design courses, leadership programs, and degrees aligned with public service and innovation goals.

• Faculty Exchange and Capacity Building
  Participate in global learning collaboratives and receive support in delivering practice-based, cross-disciplinary governance content.

• Hosting Co-Creation Labs
  Serve as an anchor institution for field-based labs that connect students and faculty to real-world problem solving with local governments and communities.

• Student Leadership Pipelines
  Provide students with access to fellowships, fieldwork, and South–South learning experiences through Civika’s Schools and Labs.
  
  

Our Ideal University Partners

• Public and private universities committed to social impact

• Institutions ready to integrate practice-based governance education

• Campuses positioned to host labs or regional innovation hubs

• Faculties seeking interdisciplinary collaboration across borders
  
  

Join the Civika network and turn your university into a platform for global-local leadership in action.

→ [Partner With Us] | [Host a Lab] | [Request a Partnership Briefing]